Exploring the Complicated Relationship between Quantity and Quality

Why, according to some of the greatest minds, quantity may unexpectedly trump quality

Photo by Tom Wilson on Unsplash

When you ask most people with no context given to choose between quality and quantity, the conventionally held belief is that quality should always be the priority.

And until just a few days ago, I likely would have come to the same conclusion. 

Having more of a subpar thing is very, very rarely an enticing offer. I’d almost always prefer to come first in one race than tenth in a dozen. 

Consulting the experts

Though, during an interview between Jack Conte, CEO of Patreon and one half of the musical duo Pomplamoose, and Van Neistat, legendary film-maker and all-around tinkerer, some points were made that may have convinced me that my thoughts on the quality versus quantity dilemma may have been somewhat off the mark. 

They agree, as most would, that it’s easier and more fulfilling to be remembered for a work of quality; that much is clear. The “Mona Lisa” is not remembered because it was Leonardo da Vinci’s 1,000th or 10,000th painting, but rather, because the quality of it warrants being cherished. 

Yet, there was a shared sentiment between Neistat and Van, which was that, in certain circumstances, it’s not just acceptable, but preferable for quality to take a backseat to quantity. This specifically occurs in the phase of skill acquisition where one is prioritizing growth and development rather than form. 

The two creatives agreed that when it comes to practicing, sharpening one’s sword, it’s better to just continue to iterate, or to put in one’s 10,000 hours, a Malcolm Gladwell might say. 

Let’s see some examples

Jack and Van point to artists like Picasso, who generated tens of thousands of pieces of art in their lifetime, and as a result, the quality of their work can be seen in a select few pieces that have been elected by society and history to represent the artist. 

Many leaders of thought have put their two cents in on this dilemma. 

Writers like Nicholas Cole, who have perfected the art of writing online as a form of business, will tell you that, especially in the learning phase, continuing to iterate, thereby closing the feedback loop and continuing to hone your skills, will always be to your benefit during those early weeks, months, or years of developing a craft.

 

Ali Abdaal, new author and YouTube thought leader, will often point to “The Parable of the Pottery Class” to explain this very phenomenon. The parable tells of a pottery class instructor who splits his class in two, telling one half, Side A, to spend a month making one perfect pot, and telling the other half, Side B, to make one pot every day for a month. According to the parable, without fail, every single student in Side B was producing better pots by the end of the month than those in Side A. 

Sure, in hindsight, a conclusion like this may seem obvious. Why else would “practice makes perfect” be such a commonly held piece of conventional wisdom? Though, it wouldn’t take much digging to find a wealth of sayings that promote the opposite conclusion as well.

At the end of the day, we’re left with a relatively false dichotomy, that, in reality, takes some balancing of the scales based on the circumstances to accurately prescribe the necessary proportions. As one continues to learn, iterate, and grow, the necessary and preferred quality-to-quantity ratio will continue to evolve. 

The takeaways here should be that we should both continue to be skeptical of dichotomies like this one, which ask us to choose between two entirely opposite ends of the spectrum, when in reality, a balance of the two may be more effective, while also continuing to develop an understanding of the relationship between quality and quantity and how it is forever changing and evolving. 

I’ll leave you here with a few journaling prompts for those who want to do a bit of guided thinking around this topic:

• Write about an area in your life where you struggle to find a balance between quantity and quality. How can you adjust your approach to achieve a better balance?

• Consider a skill or hobby you are currently working on. Are you more focused on producing a high quantity of work or high-quality work? Write about why you have chosen this focus and how it is impacting your progress.

• Think of a person you admire who has achieved mastery in their field. Reflect on how they might have balanced quality and quantity in their journey to success.

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If you have any thoughts on the topic and have the time to respond, the comments and replies are always open. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Or if you know anyone who would enjoy this post or the newsletter in general, send it their way. I’d be eternally grateful.

For now, have a great rest of the week. Talk soon!